NEW ATHENS HOMECOMING JULY 15th & 16th
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[For our Friday night musical entertainment, we are pleased to announce the return of St. Louis based JOHNNY ROCK-ITT. For anyone that saw their debut NA Homecoming performance last year, you know that these guys put on an awesome show full of Rock 'n' Roll (80's style complete with multiple outfits & big hair). They take the stage at 8pm and play until midnight. Visit them at www.johnnyrockitt.com for more info, or "friend" them on Facebook.
Saturday night will mark the return of The SMASH BAND. They are another popular St. Louis based band, headed up by local celebrity & radio personality "Smash". They will be playing from 8pm to midnight, so come out and see Smash jam with his large ensemble of very talented musicians.
It wouldn't be the New Athens Homecoming without a little heat, so as always the New Athens Fire Department will be on hand to keep the folks cooled down with ten different types of ice cold adult beverages, such as Miller Light, Budweiser, Bud Light, Coors, and local favorite Stag.
Bring the kids both nights to enjoy the return of "American Banner Amusements" carnival rides. They will be providing top of the line carnival rides and games for the whole family to enjoy. This is one of the best carnival companies in Southern Illinois, and we are excited that they are able to return this year to provide us with clean, safe, state of the art equipment for the kids. Visit them at www.americanbanneramusements.com for more information.
Armband night will be Friday night from 6-10pm, which will provide you with unlimited access to all carnival rides, at a cost of $18 each. Regular ride tickets will also be sold both nights, and are currently available at reduced prices at Dalee-Mart, and all 3 New Athens banks (Citizen's Community Bank, Village Bank of New Athens, & US Bank).
Our annual Homecoming parade will be Saturday night at 6pm. It will begin at the Village Hall and travel West on Spotsylvania Street and then North on Johnson Street, ending at the park.
After the parade, make your way down to the park for food, fun, & entertainment. Some of the parade bands, including the Shriner bands & the "Bud Light Brigade" always put on a great show in the park following the parade. You can find them between the Beer Stand & the Water Tower.
The Homecoming Queen Coronation will be Saturday night at 10pm. All raffle ticket drawings will follow a short time after the announcement of the new Homecoming Queen.
As always, all stands are operated by local organizations. This means that all profits made at the Homecoming, including a percentage of the money taken in by the carnival rides, are put directly back into the community.
Some of the clubs & organizations that organize the homecoming & operate the stands include:
The New Athens Fire Department, Ladies Fire Auxiliary, Sportsman's Club, Little League, St. Agatha's School Booster, Cub Scouts, Knights of Columbus, VFW, Rotary Club, & the NA High School Band.
In addition, the New Athens Ambulance Service provides continuous stand-by medical support at the park, and security is provided by the New Athens Police Department.